Last month, my Belgian friend Patrick was in Mumbai. I asked him to travel in the local bus with me. He was bit worried since his experience with local transport was not good in rest of India. I assured him that it is indeed good and safe to travel by BEST buses, Mumbai’s second lifeline.
BEST buses are throughout Mumbai and nearly in every corner and every road of this vast city carrying 5 million people everyday to and fro.
And this traveling is mostly accident free because of rigorous physical and psychological training to the drivers. They are consistently told that human life is far more important than achieving time deadline.
Recently, Mr. Abdul Razzak Hasan Pathan Khan (27 Medals) Mr. Ashok Salvi (20 Medals), Mr. Govind Niwale (21 Medals) were honored for driving without accident for last 29 years.
This is really something different than Delhi’s local bus service “Blueline” which is taken a death toll of 100+ travelers in Road accidents while many are handicapped lifelong in last 8 months.
The great thing about it is cleanliness. The buses are washed twice a day. Nowhere, in the bus will you find garbage dump, foam coming out of cushion seats, spitting in the corner nor will you find broken glasses, jammed windows, moving seats.
Also, if one forgets something in the bus and if conductor finds it then 100% it is recoverable.
My brother lost his wallet in the bus and he thought that it was pick pocketing. But within 2 days he received a card from BEST to regain the wallet by submitting proper identity.
Secondly, if someone writes a letter in the newspaper, he is sure to get satisfactory answer and if his demand does not meet then the reason for it too. Also, the action is taken if the driver is driving rashly; the conductor is avoiding picking passengers from particular bus stop especially in peak hours, bus interior is tore etc. as a self discipline also and as on commuter's request as well.
It is ideal service and it will be because people feel that this is our own transport. We especially feel it our own service because the staff is Marathi and they know our needs. Actually they behave well with every commuter but we feel their service is with human touch because of conversation in our Mother tongue. It happens particularly because in Mumbai’s Railway, most of the staff is from U.P. and Bihar and they are in Mumbai just for the sake of money so their behavior is rude towards commuters. The other reason for such behavior is that from independence all the railway ministers are from Bihar so for them the job is a monopoly.
On the other hand we experience that bus staff is good and having courtesy specially communication with women and children. Many times, I saw that drivers allow women to enter from the front door; they stop the bus until the pregnant woman enters the bus and takes a seat.
Many times, conductor requests fellow passenger to vacate the seat for old ladies. Also, BEST gives discount in fair for students, aged, physically and mentally challenged etc. It has already introduced low deck buses for handicaps.
It has only minimum fair Rs. 4/- which is very economical for even a poor person since the fair hikes with minimum charge per Kilometer.
Truly, today it is world’s No. 1 local bus service despite heavy population pressure, poor road infrastructure, low profit making.
And this is due to dedicated homely staff. Also BEST looks after the Electricity Supply of Mumbai main city and we experience power cut once in a blue moon. That is hardly once a year that is also merely for an hour. Also the electricity is cheap too. It will be different chapter writing about it.
BEST stands for Brihan Mumbai Electricity Supply and Transport and its website is http://bestundertaking.com/ which is very useful website to refer before starting a journey.
BEST buses are throughout Mumbai and nearly in every corner and every road of this vast city carrying 5 million people everyday to and fro.
And this traveling is mostly accident free because of rigorous physical and psychological training to the drivers. They are consistently told that human life is far more important than achieving time deadline.
Recently, Mr. Abdul Razzak Hasan Pathan Khan (27 Medals) Mr. Ashok Salvi (20 Medals), Mr. Govind Niwale (21 Medals) were honored for driving without accident for last 29 years.
This is really something different than Delhi’s local bus service “Blueline” which is taken a death toll of 100+ travelers in Road accidents while many are handicapped lifelong in last 8 months.
The great thing about it is cleanliness. The buses are washed twice a day. Nowhere, in the bus will you find garbage dump, foam coming out of cushion seats, spitting in the corner nor will you find broken glasses, jammed windows, moving seats.
Also, if one forgets something in the bus and if conductor finds it then 100% it is recoverable.
My brother lost his wallet in the bus and he thought that it was pick pocketing. But within 2 days he received a card from BEST to regain the wallet by submitting proper identity.
Secondly, if someone writes a letter in the newspaper, he is sure to get satisfactory answer and if his demand does not meet then the reason for it too. Also, the action is taken if the driver is driving rashly; the conductor is avoiding picking passengers from particular bus stop especially in peak hours, bus interior is tore etc. as a self discipline also and as on commuter's request as well.
It is ideal service and it will be because people feel that this is our own transport. We especially feel it our own service because the staff is Marathi and they know our needs. Actually they behave well with every commuter but we feel their service is with human touch because of conversation in our Mother tongue. It happens particularly because in Mumbai’s Railway, most of the staff is from U.P. and Bihar and they are in Mumbai just for the sake of money so their behavior is rude towards commuters. The other reason for such behavior is that from independence all the railway ministers are from Bihar so for them the job is a monopoly.
On the other hand we experience that bus staff is good and having courtesy specially communication with women and children. Many times, I saw that drivers allow women to enter from the front door; they stop the bus until the pregnant woman enters the bus and takes a seat.
Many times, conductor requests fellow passenger to vacate the seat for old ladies. Also, BEST gives discount in fair for students, aged, physically and mentally challenged etc. It has already introduced low deck buses for handicaps.
It has only minimum fair Rs. 4/- which is very economical for even a poor person since the fair hikes with minimum charge per Kilometer.
Truly, today it is world’s No. 1 local bus service despite heavy population pressure, poor road infrastructure, low profit making.
And this is due to dedicated homely staff. Also BEST looks after the Electricity Supply of Mumbai main city and we experience power cut once in a blue moon. That is hardly once a year that is also merely for an hour. Also the electricity is cheap too. It will be different chapter writing about it.
BEST stands for Brihan Mumbai Electricity Supply and Transport and its website is http://bestundertaking.com/ which is very useful website to refer before starting a journey.
Original post and comments : East or west, BEST is the best
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